This invention pertains to an improved wall for abating noise along a highway, along a railway, or along another noise-generating way. The improved wall, which has an anterior face and a posterior face, employs concrete modules, preferably plantable modules, in plural tiers, and employs flexible ties, such as geogrid strips, which tie certain modules in a given tier, at a given face of the wall, to other modules in the same tier, at an opposite face of the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,865, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, explains that retaining walls are used widely to construct soil embankments, sound barriers, and highway dividers, as well as for other similar and dissimilar purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,865, supra, discloses a concrete module, which is useful in making a retaining wall. U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,865, supra, also discloses a retaining wall comprising concrete modules stacked in multiple courses, in which the modules of each intermediate course are straddled by modules of the next course above and by modules of the next course below. Each module is disclosed as being plantable. Further, each module is disclosed as being provided with a batten, which is used to anchor a geogrid embedded within an earthen mass.
This invention provides an improved wall for abating noise along a highway, along a railway, or along another noise-generating way. The improved wall, which has an anterior face and a posterior face, comprises, across each face, concrete modules stacked in an upper tier, at least one intermediate tier, and a lower tier. Preferably, each module conforms to the module disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,865, supra. Preferably, each module is provided with a batten, which may conform to the batten disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,865, supra.
Across each face, the modules are spaced laterally from one another in courses, one course in each tier, so that modules of each course straddle modules of the next course above or below said course. In selected ones of the tiers, the modules along the anterior face are tied to the modules along the posterior face, via flexible ties. The flexible ties may be flexible strips, such as geogrid strips, which are preferred. Alternatively, the flexible ties may be wire cables, wire ropes, polymeric ropes, etc.
Preferably, if each module is provided with a batten, the flexible ties are arranged so that, in each of selected ones of the tiers, a flexible tie is deployed around the battens of the modules along the anterior face and around the battens of the modules along the posterior face so as to tie the modules along the anterior face to the modules along the posterior face.
In a preferred embodiment, in which each module is provided with a batten, the flexible ties are arranged so that, in each of alternate ones of the tiers, a flexible tie is deployed around the battens of the modules along the anterior face and around the battens of the modules along the posterior face, in a zig-zag pattern, so as to tie the modules along the anterior face to the modules along the posterior face.
Preferably, the modules across each face are embedded partially in a noise-absorbing mass, preferably earthen, through which the flexible ties pass and which is situated between the modules across the anterior face and the modules across the posterior face.